Tourism and recreation

Tourism and recreation

Forestry and Land Scotland manages some of the best places to visit in Scotland, with over 300 destinations including six Forest Parks, mountains, riversides, lochs, waterfalls, beaches and over 750 miles of waymarked trails.

We also look after some of the most iconic views in the country, from Queen’s View in Perthshire to Glen Affric in the west Highlands. We host and manage adventure sports too, from tree-top experiences, to our 7stanes mountain biking centres.

But it’s not just about rural areas and adventure sports. We also maintain lots of urban woodlands, including Cuningar Loop Woodland Park in the heart of Glasgow, meaning that wherever you are, a gentle stroll or woodland adventure is never far away.

Famliy of five with the three children running towards camera

Our Visitor Strategy

Cover image for a document, showing a family walking outside with overlaid graphics

Forestry and Land Scotland is already the largest provider of outdoor recreation opportunities in Scotland.

But we want to have more people participating in – and benefitting from – access and outdoor activities more often on Scotland’s national forests and land.

We've developed a new Visitor Strategy to help us achieve this over the next ten years. It sets out our aims and priorities for the future and will help us build an action plan. You can read the full strategy by clicking the link below.

Visitor Strategy (PDF)

 

 

 

Access for everyone

Scotland’s national forests and land host around ten million visits each year but we are striving to make forests and visitor experiences more accessible to everyone. Our work such as school visits and events encourages people from all backgrounds and communities to enjoy and benefit from the national forests and land. We aim to make our visitors smile, providing quality experiences that enrich lives. Welcoming and helping visitors  is everyone’s business in the organisation.

Working for Scotland's communities

We are Scotland’s largest land manager and therefore we are in a unique position with regard to the Scottish Government’s land reform commitments. We have a particular role in encouraging local communities to consider opportunities to own, lease or use land. We work actively with every community that wants to get more involved in their  local forest or woodland. There are a wide range  of options and models for greater involvement from consultation and partnership through to community-led projects. Communities also have the right to use or buy land through our Community Asset Transfer Scheme.

Children sitting on logs during an outdoor learning class

Our priorities

  • Maintaining walking and biking trails to promote fun in the outdoors, focussing on improving entry level experiences for everyone to enjoy and gain health benefits
  • Continuing to remove barriers to ensure that people from all backgrounds can and do access the full range of benefits of the national forests and land
  • Enabling outdoor learning and encouraging schools and community groups to make use  of the national forests and land
  • Facilitating renewable energy opportunities  in order to encourage community benefits
  • Incentivising renewable developers to offer community ownership opportunities in renewable energy developments on the  national forests and land
  • Continuing to engage communities in decisions relating to the management of the national forests and land
  • Continuing to support community empowerment by enabling communities to make use of the national forests and land to benefit their communities

Find out more